Project Coordinator

Mercy Corps is an international, non-governmental humanitarian relief and development agency that exists to alleviate suffering, poverty and oppression by helping to build secure, productive and just communities. Mercy Corps began operations in Nepal in 2005, and since then has implemented projects in the sectors of agriculture, economic development and opportunities, financial services, youth engagement, natural resource management and disaster risk reduction/ climate change adaptation, with gender as a cross-cutting issue.

Mercy Corps Nepal invites applications from all interested and potential Nepali candidates for the following position:

Project Coordinator - Safer Building, RECOVERY -1 (Kathmandu based with frequent visit to Dolakha, Sindhupalchowk, Kavre and Nuwakot Districts)

Please refer to nepal.mercycorps.org for the full position description.

“Fostering a diverse and open workplace is an important part of Mercy Corps’ vision, and we encourage people from all backgrounds, especially women and members of disadvantaged groups to apply. Mercy Corps is an Equal Opportunity Employer”.

Interested candidates are requested to submit cover letter and Mercy Corps Application Form available at http://nepal.mercycorps.org by June 25, 2016 to the address below: 

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for further selection process. Telephone enquiries will not be entertained.

Attn: Human Resources Department

[Please mention the title of the Position on the subject line of the e-mail while applying]

Email to: np-jobs@mercycorps.org

POSITION DESCRIPTION 

Position Title: Project Coordinator - Safer Building

Duty Station:  Kathmandu (Mobile in Dolakha, Sindhupalchowk, Kavre and Nuwakot Districts)

Position Category:  Full-time AND Regular

Salary Level:  5

Current Employee: New position

BACKGROUND:

Mercy Corps is an international, non-governmental humanitarian relief and development agency that exists to alleviate suffering, poverty and oppression by helping people build secure, productive, and just communities. Mercy Corps works in 40 countries, and has been present in Nepal since 2005. Mercy Corps’ current work focuses on helping build the absorptive, adaptive and transformative potential of vulnerable individuals and communities across Nepal. The goal is attained through a systems-based approach to market development, financial services, disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation and youth engagement.

On April 25, 2015, a devastating earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 on the Richter scale struck Nepal, causing significant loss of life and injuries as well as extensive damage to infrastructure, including roads, markets, buildings and eco-systems. An estimated 8 million people have been directly affected by the earthquake and its numerous large and small aftershocks, with a death toll reported over 8,000 and many more injured and displaced. As a result, Mercy Corps launched a significant emergency response in areas of shelter, food/non-food, water and sanitation programming. As we transition from immediate emergency relief distributions, Mercy Corps has now focused and shifted its  interventions on preparing communities for the after-effects on already fragile communities of the monsoon season in the form of flooding, severe erosion and landslides, helping communities rebuild safely, restart their businesses and to build back better, more safely and more securely. Mercy Corps, after responding to immediate emergency needs in 9 districts of Nepal, has focus its recovery and development activities in four priority districts: Nuwakot, Kavre, Sindhupalchowk and Dolakha.

PROGRAM/DEPARTMENT SUMMARY:

Through the generous support of thousands of private donors, Mercy Corps is building up core teams in recovery, DRR, financial services and market systems development and implementing Earthquake Recovery Program. This is comprehensive program which seeks to build resilience capacity of the earthquake affected district thorough integration of comprehensive program components as DRR, financial services and Livelihood. Major component under DRR is Mitigation, promotion of safer building construction and capacity building to mitigate landslide and other hazards risk in the four target districts. The project is implemented in four priority districts of Nepal: Nuwakot, Kavre, Sindhupalchowk and Dolakha.

GENERAL POSITION SUMMARY:

Mercy Corps is now seeking a highly motivated and experienced person to join the Earthquake Recovery Program Team. The Project Coordinator will be responsible to provide oversight and technical input into the design and implementation promotion of safer building practices related activities. He/She will work with close support and oversight from the DRR Project Manager, together with a team of DRR Project Officers, to provide technical assistance and capacity building support for successful implementation of the program components.  The Project Coordinator will support in the planning, design, costing, implementation, supervision support on safer building promotion related activities and ensure quality implementation within stipulated time and cost. S/he will be responsible for building technical capacity of project officers, implementing partner staff and relevant community members for successful implementation of the program component. This position works in close collaboration with and with the support of the DRR Project Manager, working to achieve program objectives and targets. The Project Coordinator will work closely with Project Officers in each target district, providing technical advice and supervising engineering interventions in each project location. He/She will also support to extend close coordination and collaboration with related stakeholder at national and district level. 

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS: 

• Directly support and organize the DRR emergency program technical team to conducted safer building practices related works. The Technical Coordinator will support the Project Manager in assuming overall responsibility for all technical matters of the project.
• Identify priorities and develop appropriate safer construction related work plans and carry out plans and establish a timely and participatory work planning process with the project team, implementing partner and the target groups. 
• Coordinate safer building construction practices activities together with the DRR recovery program team, District Officers and partner staff, ensuring high quality performance and program delivery focused on planned results. 
• Develop site-specific needs assessment reports around risks and hazards faced by communities with recommendations for their resolution or mitigation.
• Develop or contribute to the development of site-specific technical design building construction related interventions in target communities/VDCs together with the DRR project officers, as appropriate.
• Organize and facilitate technical trainings for staffs, partner organizations and communities on different safer building practices as well as small- and medium-scale mitigation techniques. 
• Provide guidance and support on technical matters for proper implementation of small- and medium-scale mitigation and NRM activities together with the DRR recovery program team.
• Develop detailed processes and procedures for the implementation safer building construction a as well as awareness rising and technical support works at local level. Identify and work with related government/non-government agencies and facilitate community linkages to access resources and technical support.
• Work together with partners District Coordinators to develop and maintain relationships with district implementing partners.
• Extend close coordination on related subjects in national, district and local level
• Contribute to the development of technical design and implementation guidelines and train partners as necessary. 
• Take lead in preparing technical reports focused on capturing evidence-based results, lessons learned and good practices;
• Take lead in technical review and provide feedback on partner submitted reports and their timely completion;
• Prepare monthly progress reports and submit to DRR Project manager

Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation

• Prepare monthly work plans, which adhere to the overall project objectives and activities and assist local partner staff in doing the same.
• Oversee the work plans, their quality and adherence to them of the DRR team.
• Coordinate with DM&E team to develop tools and facilitate its implementation to collect feedback, capturing and documenting learning.
• Organize regular field visits to ensure implementation of mitigation and safer construction work is being carried out with desired quality and within stipulated time and resources.
• Review the progress reports received from the DRR team and local partner staff and provide feedback/ suggestions; support will be provided by the DRR Project Manager as needed.

Other Support 

• Ensure that MC operational policies and procedures are followed, while ensuring downward and upward project efficiency, transparency and accountability.
• Manage good relationships with project stakeholders, including local NGO partners, GoN officials, community officials, and colleague agency officials.
• Ensure that innovative approaches, good practices, particular challenges, or good results are documented to support agency learning.
• Participate and contribute to joint initiatives, training activities and media events organized collectively by the Mercy Corps country team and implementing partners countrywide or regionally, as required.
• Conduct him or herself in a manner so as to bring credit to Mercy Corps and so as not to jeopardize its humanitarian mission.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY: None, except in collaboration with and under supervision of the Project Manager.

ACCOUNTABILITY 

REPORTS DIRECTLY TO: DRR Project Manager 

WORKS DIRECTLY WITH:  DRR Project Officers, M&E Officers, Partner Project Team, Project Support Unit, DM&E Unit.

ACCOUNTABLE TO: DRR Project Manager; Mercy Corps policies and procedures; DRR project teams in the field; Position Description; 

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE: 

• Strong experience in safer building constructions. 
• Minimum Bachelor’s Degree in civil engineering with at least 4 years experiences on design and construction of  rural and urban low cost housing and  buildings  
• Strong experience in building and directly supporting small, effective, mobile teams strongly preferred.
• Experience of designing and implementation of temporary, transition and permanent shelter.  
• Minimum experience with community-based programs with focus on implementation of community level DRR mitigation infrastructures. 
• Experience working with local NGO(s), government officials and integrating them into program implementation.
• Experience on building capacity of diverse team.
• Strong organization and communication skills.
• Strong writing/spoken English.  
• Strong skill on training design and facilitation.
• Ability to search different resources to develop innovative approaches. 
• Strong level of computer skills on MS package as well as engineering software. 
• Willingness to travel frequently to remote areas.
• Competence riding a motorbike preferred.
• Good knowledge on government policy and procedure on earthquake recovery.